Flexible metal casing- fob



B. B. LEUSTIG.

FLEXIBLE METAL CASING FOR LAMINAT'ED SPRINGS. APPLICATION FILED DEC-3. I9I7.

l ,3 l 9,349. Patented Oct. 2l, 1919.

wif/vease.; fn Venier.

M. @ma i @M BENNO B. LEUsTIG, oFfcLEvELAND, oHIo.

FLEXIBLE METAL CASING- FOR LAMINATED SPRINGS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 21, 1919.

Appiieaiimi inea December s, 1917. serial No. 205,051.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENNo B. LEUsTiG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in. the county of t(jluyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Flexible Metal Casing for Laminated Springs, of which the following is a specification. I, I

This invention relates to improvements in protective and lubricating flexible metal casings for laminated springs, and pertains more especially to a flexible metal casing extending longitudinally of a laminated s rin and servinnV as va .coverin for the top, 'sides and bottom of the spring and having its bottom comprising two superimposed sheet-metal strips.

One object of this invention is to provide the outer of said strips not onlywith upwardly projecting flanges arranged at the sides of and spaced longitudinally of the spring and participating in the formation of the sides of said casing but in'having said' flanges extend over and overlap the top of the spring and thereby serve to hold said strips in place relative to the spring without interfering with the desired flexibility of the casing. /f Y Another object is not only to have the outerof said strips provided with flanges having Iportions overlapping the top of the spring ut to have said casing 'comprise a sheet-metal strip covering said portions of said flanges and serving to exclude dust, dirt and-'water from saidportions of said flanges.

Another object is not only to have a flexible strap embracing a tubular head which is arranged transversely of and forms an end of the spring and to have a sleeve mounted on said casing adjacent said head, but to havesaid sleeve comprising two sheet-metal plates covering the bottom and top respectively of said casing adjacent said headrand to have the aforesaid head-embracing strap rigid only with one of said plates and to provide simple and inexpensive means for attaching said plates together.'

With these objects in view, and to attain any other object hereinafter appearing, this invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction, and combinations and relative arrangement of the parts, hereinafter described in this specification, pointed out in -3 is a, longitudinal section taken alon the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings. A

In said drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of my improved protective and lubricating casing for a half of a semi-elliptical or a quarter-elliptical laminated spring, and shows said casing applied to said spring. Fig. 2. is a side view, partly in section, of a portion of said spring and casing. Fig. the line 3-3, Fig. 2, looking upwardl 'g'. l is a transverse section taken along-the line 1 4 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 isa vertical longitudinal section of an end portion of said spring and casing. Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken along the line 6 6 Fig.'5.

Referring to said drawings, 12 indicates the uppermost leaf of one-half of a semiminates at one end in a horizontally ar# ranged tubular member 14 which forms a head on the spring, and at said head the spring is adapted to be attached toa vehiclebody or, object which is to be supported from the .spring. The spring is reduced insize vertically in the direction of its head end 14, -and the upper of adjacent leaves of the spring projects in the usual manner outwardly beyond the lowr of said leaves in said direction. The head 14 ofthespring is embraced by the central portion of a sheet-metal strap D which extends circumfei'entially of said head and has one end portion 15 thereof extending inwardly over the adJacent portion of my improved casing and comprises two superimposed flexible 'Sheet-metal strips A and A forming a ilexible double covering for the bottom of the spring, and also comprises a flexible sheetmetal strip B forming a flexible covering for the top of the spring. Said strips xtend longitudinally and from end to end and from side to side ofthe spring.

The inner strip A of the bottom of my iinproved casing is provided, at each side of the spring, with upwardly projecting flanges a spaced longitudinally of the spring. The flanges a at one side of the spring alternate with the flanges a at the opposite side of the spring. v The outerstrip A of the bottom cfm?I ins improved casing is provided, at each side of the spring, with upwardly projectingv flanges a of the inner strip A. That is, the

space between adjacent flanges a of the strip A and the outer sides of adjacent portions of said flanges are covered by a flange a of the strip A. Preferably the flanges a of the strip A are arranged Wholly below the top of the spring, and the flanges a. of the strip A are extended, as at a2, inwardly over and overlap the top of the spring. It will be observed that by the extension of the flanges a over the top of the spring the strips A and A are inexpensively and efficiently held in place relative to the spring without'materially interfering, during the flexing of the spring, with the flexing of the casing comprising said strips.

The strip B, shown covering the top' of the -spring and covering the portions a2 of the flanges a of the strip A and thereby excluding dust, dirt and water fromsaid portions of said flanges, is provided, at eachh side of the spring, with downwardly projecting flanges b spaced longitudinally of the spring, and the space between adjacent flanges a of the strip A and the louter sides of adjacent portions of said flanges are covered by a flange b of the strip B.

On the casing formed by the strips A, A

and B, adjacentthe head 14 of the spring, is loosely mounted a sleeve comprising two sheet-metal plates 16 and E covering the bottom and top respectively of the adjacent portion of said casing, and the end portion 15 of the strap D is shown interposed between the top of said casing and the plate E which is arranged over said end portion of said strap. The other end portion of the strap D terminates in or forms the bottoml plate 16 which is provided, at each side and externally of said casing, with an upwardly projecting flange 18, and the top plate E is provided, at each side and externally of said casing, with a downwardly projecting flange 19 overlapping the outer side of the adjacent flange 18 of the bottom plate 16. Each flange 18 of the bottom'plate 16 is provided at its upper end with a tongue 2O which extends through a slot 21 formed, at the upper end of the adjacent flange 19 of the top plate E, in said top plate and overlapping the outery side of the last-mentioned flange. The plates 16 and E are therefore inexpensively but efficiently locked togetherg'fand obviouslyl the topv plate E prevents displacement of the upper end-portion 15 of the strap D upwardly from the casing comprising the strips A, A and B, andv also prevents or limits movement or displacement of the strip B of said casing upwardly relative to the spring.

Obviously the leaves of' the spring are not liable to be flexed at the inner end of said casing,-that is, at the end opposite to the head ,14 of the spring,-but I would here remark that the spring and its casing are adapted to be clamped or secured at said inner end of the casing to the member or portion of a vehicle, frame or other object (not shown) to which the spring is to be attached, and, of course, the strips composing said casing, when the casing has been clamped or secured with the spring to said vehicle-member, frame or other object, are positively heldin place at said inner end of the spring i Means for holding the strip B. in place 'relative tothe spring between the head end 14 and the opposite end of the spring comprise not only the top plate E but also a bolt H arranged intermediately of and spaced from thel sleeve-embraced end and the opposite end of the casing formed by the strips A, A and B, and said bolt is arranged transversely of the top strip B and is con-` strap is soldered or otherwise secured to said outer bottom strip A.

My improved casing is shown provided, between the last-mentioned strap and the sleeve comprising the plates E and 16 and nearer said strap than said sleeve, with a cup R for receiving grease or lubricant (not shown) -to be fed to the s ring. Said cup is shown arranged under t e spring and eX- tends through an' aperture 23 formed in a downwardly offset portion 24 -of the outer bottom strip A and isprovided at its upper end with a laterally and outwardly projecting annular flange 25 seated in and soldered or otherwise secured 'to said offset portion of said strip. Said aperture is in registry with an aperture 26 formed in the inner bottom strip A, and grease or lubricant, forced from the upper Vand discharging end` of the cup R` by the suitably actuated plunger 7 with which the-cup is internally provided, passes through saidaperture into the spring-containing chamber of the aforesaid casing.

vWhat .I claim is- 1. The combination, with a laminated spring, and a flexiblemetal casing extending longitudinally of the spring and into proximity to an eye of the spring and forming a coverfor the top, sides and bottom of the spring, of a strap extending circumferentially of said eye and having onev end portion thereof extending over the adjacent portion of said casing, a plate. arranged over said end-portion of said strap and provided with two downwardly project-ing fianges arranged at opposite ysides respectively of the spring, and a plate under the aforesaid portion of said casing and rigid with said `strap and provided between the spring and each fiange of the first-mentioned plate with an upwardly projecting flange attached t0 said first mentioned plate.

2. Thel combination with a laminated spring, and a flexible metal casing extending longitudinally of the spring and into proximity to an eye of the spring and forming a covering for the/top, sldes and bottom of the spring, of a strap extending circum- ,ferentially of said eye and having one end portion thereof extending over the adjacent portion of said casing, a plate which is arranged over said end portion of said strap and provided with two downwardly projecting flanges arranged at opposite sides respectively of the spring, and a'plate arranged under the aforesaid portion of said casing and rigid with said strap and pro-l vided between the spring and each flange of the first-mentioned plate with an upwardly projecting fiange which has a ltongue extending through said first-mentioned plate and is bent over an external surface Aof said first-mentioned plate.

3. The combination, with al laminated spring, and a flexible metal casing extendlng longitudinally of the spring and intov proximty to an eye of the spring andforming a yovering for the top, sides and bottom of the spring, cumferentially of end portion thereof extending over the adof a strap extending cirsaid eye and having onev jacent portion of said casing7 a plate which is-.arranged over said end portion of said strap and provided with two ldownwardly projecting flanges arranged at opposite sides respectively of the spring and has a slot at the upper end of each of said fianges, and a plate arranged under the aforesaid portion of said casing and rigid with said strap and provided between the spring and each flange -of the first-mentioned plate with' ansides of and spaced longitudinally of the spring, the outer of said strips being provided under the spring with a downwardly offset portion having an aperture, and the 'inner of said strips having an aperture which registers with the first-mentioned aperture, of a lubricantsupplying cup extending through said first-mentioned aperture and provided at its upper end with a laterally and outwardly projecting flange seated in and rigid with the aforesaid ofi'- set portion of the outer` of said strips.

In testimony whereof, I sign the foregoing specification, the presence of two witnesses.

BENNO V13'. LEUSTIG.

Witnesses:

CASPER J. Donau, EMIL W. K RYZ. 

